35,000-pound Plantation Island bridge on Boise River removed due to severe erosion

by Sierra Oshrin

The Ada County Board of Commissioners says the Plantation Island bridge, which tips the scale at about 35,000 pounds, had to be torn down due to fear that it could crash into the river. The area of the Greenbelt in Garden City has been closed to the public since late February due to high water levels.

A popular bridge along the Boise River has been removed by the county due to severe erosion along the river bank.

The Boise River is still flowing at over 8,000 cubic feet per second and many parts of the valley have been affected. One of the most notable is the bridge that connects the Green Belt to Plantation Island in Garden City.

The damage was so drastic, Ada County had to remove the bridge due to serious erosion along the Boise Green Belt. The county and the Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands feared with time, the bridge could collapse.

"The river has started to undercut the green belt on the island, which has put the bridge in jeopardy," said Ada County Commissioner Board Chairman Dave Case.

Crews spent much of the day removing the 35,000 pound bridge. The foundation initially noticed the erosion and went to the county for funding.

"In a matter of two weeks from contacting them, they made this happen," said Judy Peavey-Derr, the Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands director.

Ada County had to dip into its emergency management fund to remove the bridge. The goal is to either move it, or put it back where it once stood. But the future of the bridge remains uncertain.

"We have no idea how much money we're talking about or the timeline to get it done," Peavey-Derr said. "My estimation is that it will probably be fall."